This is What Happy Looks Like, by Jennifer E. Smith

You are allowed to judge a book by its cover this one time.

Isn't it adorable? I only read it because of the cover. Just kidding! I've heard a lot of good things about it, as well as Jennifer E. Smith's book The Statistical Probability of Love, so I decided to read it.

Novel: This is What Happy Looks Like, by Jennifer E. Smith

It's Like: A modern, YA version of Once Upon A Marigold

Summary: This is going to sound like a lame summary, but This is What Happy Looks Like is about two teenagers, Graham Larkin and Ellie O'Neill, who accidentally start e-mailing each other, their meeting and the problems that come with attempting to start a relationship. Sounds cliche and straightforward, but it's not!

Notes:

• One thing that startled me was that the majority of the book does not take place with Graham and Ellie e-mailing. The entire book, minus a few pages, is about Graham and Ellie meeting and figuring out what to do once they meet. Most books with similar summaries are about the e-mail messages and how the messages shape each character individually. I really appreciated how This is What Happy Looks Like kept the idea but changed the execution.
• I found Jennifer E. Smith's writing similar to Sarah Dessen's. This might be because both This is What Happy Looks Like and The Moon and More are summer romance novels. I definitely liked Smith's writing more because she captured the teenage voice better than Dessen did.
• While we are on the topic of Dessen, I like Ellie so much more than Emaline (if you don't know what I'm talking about, check out my review for The Moon And More in June). They seem to have similar personalities, but I find the traits much more endearing in Ellie. Ellie is also level headed when it comes to romance and relationships, and that was something that Emmaline lacked.
• I appreciated how both Graham's and Ellie's perspectives were shown; it's not always something I like in a book, but it worked well in this one.

On a Scale...*: from 1 to 10, I'd give it a 9. Points deducted for plot tangents.

Recommendation: Yes, read it! It's more of a "chick book" I guess, or a longer-than-usual beach read, but definitely worthwhile. 

*Oh hey, yeah, this is new. I decided just now to do it. You're welcome. :)